Eleven-year-old Lucie's letters to her mum begin on the day of her mum's funeral, 'the saddest day in the whole world.' There is no other way for Lucie to cope with the dreadful thing that has happened to her family than by writing letters - a talent her mum enjoyed too. Written on lined paper such as would be found in a school notebook, Lucie's letters give us a complete year in her life, and are a diary of all her thoughts, her feelings, and the things that happen in her family and at school. Her mum has died of cancer, and the family has reacted in very different ways. Older sister, Chloe (15) becomes a difficult teenager and shows signs of anorexia, brother Hugo (8) has terrible dreams, and dad has trouble coping with the family and his job. Lucie is in many ways the most centred of the family, probably due to the letters, but she suffers internally too, and the letters are very indicative of this. As time goes on we begin to see that she is adjusting to what has happened, and her grandparents, both English and French, are very important to this adjustment. In an idyllic section set in the family summer home on the sea in France, Lucie sees her mum in the context of her growing up, and begins to grow up herself with a very gentle love affair. As each of the children has a birthday, they receive a letter and a gift from their mum, and this also helps the grieving. Lucie 'sees' her mother on many occasions, and this also helps her to believe that her mum is near. This Catholic family go to Mass on occasion and visit the grave with flowers, but they do question the afterlife and what it means, and Lucie and her family will come to their own conclusions as to heaven. This is a moving, beautifully written and very honest book about a high tragedy, dealt with well by a loving and supportive family.